SAT's cancelled but congressional noms still requiring them

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aviator7

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More than 30-40% of test centers administering the August 29 SAT's have been cancelled and many people across the nation are left with no other centers to register for or have to drive hundreds of miles to another state and stay at a hotel overnight to take the SAT. Hundreds of colleges have gone test optional but not the service academies. When my August SAT got cancelled, the latest one I could take was on Sept 26...BUT...some of my congressional offices have a nomination application deadline before that date. Is anyone in the same(or similar boat here?). Will USAFA go test optional like the rest? This whole situation is kinda a dumpster fire.
 
USAFA has already released statements telling candidates that admissions for C/O 2025 will not be test optional. I would recommend contacting your congressional offices about your situation, I would bet that if you explain your situation and you are not too rude or overbearing they would be willing to work for you. I’ve already talked with my Congressman’s staffer and she told me I can bring in new test results on the interview day

Good Luck!
 
Do NOT expect the SA's to go test optional. From HQ....

"All applicants and candidates mentored this cycle should be encouraged to test as soon as possible, and then to test again.
Our guidance to all applicants and candidates remains unchanged - TEST EARLY! TEST OFTEN!"

Schedule what you can when/where you can; both SAT and ACT. Be creative. One of my candidates has a family "cabin" in the mountains. He put that zip code in to find a test site and registered near there. It took an overnight trip but...he tested.

It's not going to be easy...

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
It's a competition. Others will find creative ways to solve this problem as flieger mentioned. You may not solve it but i would certainly be giving every possible scenario a try. Solving it may be the thing that puts you over the top, by demonstrating how badly you want this.
 
All of the above!! Find a way or make one! This is a place where YOU can out do the OTHER guy. Time to be creative. Think outside the box. How bad do you want it?

Y’all will also REALLY need to study and make this test you do take, matter!

I’ll volunteer to host a student needing to test. Send me a PM if you seriously need help with that. At this point, there are sites still here in the Midwest. Perhaps different parts of the country are testing differently.
 
flieger83 said:
Do NOT expect the SA's to go test optional. From HQ....

"All applicants and candidates mentored this cycle should be encouraged to test as soon as possible, and then to test again.
Our guidance to all applicants and candidates remains unchanged - TEST EARLY! TEST OFTEN!"

Schedule what you can when/where you can; both SAT and ACT. Be creative. One of my candidates has a family "cabin" in the mountains. He put that zip code in to find a test site and registered near there. It took an overnight trip but...he tested.

It's not going to be easy...

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
Click to expand...
kinnem said:
It's a competition. Others will find creative ways to solve this problem as flieger mentioned. You may not solve it but i would certainly be giving every possible scenario a try. Solving it may be the thing that puts you over the top, by demonstrating how badly you want this.
Click to expand...

Right?? Who doesn’t love a good challenge?

Okay, I’d actually to tell a quick story: I live in the suburbs and I registered for the August 29th SAT back in June. I’ve been practicing hard on Khan Academy and made it a goal that I would accept nothing less than perfect.

As time went on, and the Covid situation didn’t improve, I started getting worried that my school district would cancel the test. By the time I found out it was cancelled, it was the end of July. I re-registered in another area several hours away from where I live-they cancelled too.

I was going to just give up and assume that the admissions committees at the Service Academies would work this out...but I didn’t. I realized I needed to take matters into my own hands and use this as an opportunity to make myself stand out. I went onto the College Board’s registration website and looked up every possible test center. This time, though, I called each school to see what their plans were. Some answered my calls, some didn’t, most couldn’t give me an direct answer though.
I checked rate of virus cases in the school’s county to see if there would be appetite for administering the test, and checked press releases to see if the school district planned to open in the fall. After lots of research and phone calls, I finally found a place about 4 hours from where I live that is opening for in person learning AND I was assured that the test would be administered by the counselor there. I’m pretty confident at this point but hey, this makes the journey more exciting!

Even though none of my nomination sources are requiring test scores, the academies are still likely to do so. Even if they do go test optional, having SATs will help you stand out.
 
Last edited:
flieger83 said:
Do NOT expect the SA's to go test optional. From HQ....

"All applicants and candidates mentored this cycle should be encouraged to test as soon as possible, and then to test again.
Our guidance to all applicants and candidates remains unchanged - TEST EARLY! TEST OFTEN!"

Schedule what you can when/where you can; both SAT and ACT. Be creative. One of my candidates has a family "cabin" in the mountains. He put that zip code in to find a test site and registered near there. It took an overnight trip but...he tested.

It's not going to be easy...

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
Click to expand...
Thanks, but do you know where to find updates from USAFA like the one you just quoted?
 
UnitedStatesAircraft5 said:
Right?? Who doesn’t love a good challenge?

Okay, I’d actually to tell a quick story: I live in the suburbs and I registered for the August 29th SAT back in June. I’ve been practicing hard on Khan Academy and made it a goal that I would accept nothing less than perfect.

As time went on, and the Covid situation didn’t improve, I started getting worried that my school district would cancel the test. By the time I found out it was cancelled, it was the end of July. I re-registered in another area several hours away from where I live-they cancelled too.

I was going to just give up and assume that the admissions committees at the Service Academies would work this out...but I didn’t. I realized I needed to take matters into my own hands and use this as an opportunity to make myself stand out. I went onto the College Board’s registration website and looked up every possible test center. This time, though, I called each school to see what their plans were. Some answered my calls, some didn’t, most couldn’t give me an direct answer though.
I checked rate of virus cases in the school’s county to see if there would be appetite for administering the test, and checked press releases to see if the school district planned to open in the fall. After lots of research and phone calls, I finally found a place about 4 hours from where I live that is opening for in person learning AND I was assured that the test would be administered by the counselor there. I’m pretty confident at this point but hey, this makes the journey more exciting!

Even though none of my nomination sources are requiring test scores, the academies are still likely to do so. Even if they do go test optional, having SATs will help you stand out.
Click to expand...
Academies love to see this kind of grit in getting the job done!
 
aviator7 said:
More than 30-40% of test centers administering the August 29 SAT's have been cancelled and many people across the nation are left with no other centers to register for or have to drive hundreds of miles to another state and stay at a hotel overnight to take the SAT. Hundreds of colleges have gone test optional but not the service academies. When my August SAT got cancelled, the latest one I could take was on Sept 26...BUT...some of my congressional offices have a nomination application deadline before that date. Is anyone in the same(or similar boat here?). Will USAFA go test optional like the rest? This whole situation is kinda a dumpster fire.
Click to expand...
The MOCs going test optional seems a bad idea. As long as the SAs require standardized tests, wasting a nomination on someone who doesn’t show a score seems to be squandering the nomination. Given the low likelihood of SAs changing their test requirements, it is the candidates responsibility to figure it out, or unfortunately, they seem to have no chance this cycle and a nomination would be pretty meaningless. Of course, MOCs ought to give applicants every opportunity to get to a test center and extend nomination deadlines. I’d definitely recommend talking to the MOC offices about this issue.
 
The below paragraph is in an email from the SAT coordinators from two of 28 high schools in my district. They are expecting huge crowds on 29 Aug and so far do not have enough staff to get it done. Students aren’t the only ones with pandemic-world testing issues so as others above have said, extra effort and searching for a site will be needed.

“For Saturday, August 29th, we have a significant need for more Room Proctors and Hall Monitors -- as well as a few folks to serve as "Front Door Monitors" (who will help make sure all staff and students are following all COVID-related protocols before entering the building). In order to fully staff the SAT on the 29th, I think we need about 45 staffers total -- and I don't have anywhere near that number right now.”
 
dddad said:
The MOCs going test optional seems a bad idea. As long as the SAs require standardized tests, wasting a nomination on someone who doesn’t show a score seems to be squandering the nomination. Given the low likelihood of SAs changing their test requirements, it is the candidates responsibility to figure it out, or unfortunately, they seem to have no chance this cycle and a nomination would be pretty meaningless. Of course, MOCs ought to give applicants every opportunity to get to a test center and extend nomination deadlines. I’d definitely recommend talking to the MOC offices about this issue.
Click to expand...

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in standardized testing, and while I personally now believe that I will be able to take the SAT, the reality is that if the Academies exclude kids who were unable to take the test because of Covid, they are going to be missing out on many great young men and women who would make excellent military officers. Kids who have been dreaming of this for years would be excluded through no fault of their own. A person’s high school curriculum and scores are likely a much better reflection of their academic ability than a single standardized test. I can tell you that all three of my nomination sources are not requiring test scores (both of my senators aren’t even allowing them to be sent.) While I do believe I will be able to take the SAT elsewhere, there isn’t a single place in my state that is able to proctor the exam. I have a supportive family that is willing to drive me five hours away to take the SAT and pay for a hotel room overnight-many kids who are otherwise qualified don’t have this.

Another thing: Since school districts in urban areas are less likely to proctor the exams, excluding those who were unable to test would also impact the demographics of the incoming class-something the Service Academies definitely do not want to do.

Here’s a novel idea: what if the service academies set up a deal with College Board or ACT to proctor the exams themselves for rising seniors?
 
@UnitedStatesAircraft5 Urban areas had better figure out how to administer the SAT and ACT. Equity is the name of the game in education these days and law suits are flying every day against districts who are failing to provide equity. Not equality. Equity.

So there is not one place in your state doing the SAT?

You stated, "A person’s high school curriculum and scores are likely a much better reflection of their academic ability than a single standardized test." I'm not a fan of the College Board and cringe every year when I get the email assigning me to administer the PSAT. The SAT though is an indicator of intelligence and the GPA is an indicator partly of intelligence but mainly in work ethic and ability. Both are measurements of a candidate's potential to succeed in an advanced academic environment. If I were interviewing two people for a job and one had a higher SAT but lower GPA and the other person had a higher GPA but lower SAT, I would hire the one with the better work ethic.

Also, it appears the academies have enough on their plates to have to worry about hosting the SAT.
 
Yes, the Academies are test optional; however, USAFA said th
UnitedStatesAircraft5 said:
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in standardized testing, and while I personally now believe that I will be able to take the SAT, the reality is that if the Academies exclude kids who were unable to take the test because of Covid, they are going to be missing out on many great young men and women who would make excellent military officers. Kids who have been dreaming of this for years would be excluded through no fault of their own. A person’s high school curriculum and scores are likely a much better reflection of their academic ability than a single standardized test. I can tell you that all three of my nomination sources are not requiring test scores (both of my senators aren’t even allowing them to be sent.) While I do believe I will be able to take the SAT elsewhere, there isn’t a single place in my state that is able to proctor the exam. I have a supportive family that is willing to drive me five hours away to take the SAT and pay for a hotel room overnight-many kids who are otherwise qualified don’t have this.

Another thing: Since school districts in urban areas are less likely to proctor the exams, excluding those who were unable to test would also impact the demographics of the incoming class-something the Service Academies definitely do not want to do.

Here’s a novel idea: what if the service academies set up a deal with College Board or ACT to proctor the exams themselves for rising seniors?
Click to expand...
I disagree. Kids whose life-long goal is to attend a SA will find away around this problem. If anything this will weed out those who are not determined and would otherwise drop out later in the process. Also, a person's high school course load and GPA are certainly not good reflections of their academic potential. This is why standardized tests exist. It is an even playing field for everyone. For example, if 2 kids apply to the academy with the same classes taken, and kid 1 has a 4.0 GPA and a 30 ACT and kid 2 has a 3.7 GPA and a 35 ACT, the academy can figure out that maybe kid 1 was graded easier, tests were easier, etc. Scoring well on standardized tests is a way to prove that your GPA is a good representation of you (if it is high) or a bad representation of you (if it is low). I hope this all made sense!
 
DD’s test was just cancelled. I don’t think it’s fair to expect kids to have to travel 4+ hours to take. We can surely afford to do it but most can not because now not only is there added expense they must plan an overnight cost with the travel and now more exposure risks because of unexpected accommodations.

I disagree saying kids must figure this out. There is just so much they can do in these days. And remember not all rising seniors drive or have a car to drive so go easier on some of these that are posting and are frustrated.
 
The academies also get the school composition. If you’re in the top 10 percent but the top 5 go to ivies you’re most likelu going to have a more competitive school. So a high GPA, but a lower ACT can not be a deal breaker.
 
Devil Doc said:
@UnitedStatesAircraft5 Urban areas had better figure out how to administer the SAT and ACT. Equity is the name of the game in education these days and law suits are flying every day against districts who are failing to provide equity. Not equality. Equity.

So there is not one place in your state doing the SAT?

You stated, "A person’s high school curriculum and scores are likely a much better reflection of their academic ability than a single standardized test." I'm not a fan of the College Board and cringe every year when I get the email assigning me to administer the PSAT. The SAT though is an indicator of intelligence and the GPA is an indicator partly of intelligence but mainly in work ethic and ability. Both are measurements of a candidate's potential to succeed in an advanced academic environment. If I were interviewing two people for a job and one had a higher SAT but lower GPA and the other person had a higher GPA but lower SAT, I would hire the one with the better work ethic.

Also, it appears the academies have enough on their plates to have to worry about hosting the SAT.
Click to expand...
USAFA_86 said:
Yes, the Academies are test optional; however, USAFA said th

I disagree. Kids whose life-long goal is to attend a SA will find away around this problem. If anything this will weed out those who are not determined and would otherwise drop out later in the process. Also, a person's high school course load and GPA are certainly not good reflections of their academic potential. This is why standardized tests exist. It is an even playing field for everyone. For example, if 2 kids apply to the academy with the same classes taken, and kid 1 has a 4.0 GPA and a 30 ACT and kid 2 has a 3.7 GPA and a 35 ACT, the academy can figure out that maybe kid 1 was graded easier, tests were easier, etc. Scoring well on standardized tests is a way to prove that your GPA is a good representation of you (if it is high) or a bad representation of you (if it is low). I hope this all made sense!
Click to expand...

Yes, it makes sense. I'm actually in the position both of you are talking about. My UW GPA is 3.7 and I've been vigorously studying for the SAT this summer to make myself more competitive. It makes no sense to me why local school districts are opting not to administer the tests. Let's be honest, it's not for the "health and safety of students," it's for liability reasons. I'm just pointing out that students have little control over this and that while someone who lives in a rural county may be able to walk to their test center, others may have to drive hundreds of miles. I'm a believer in standardized tests and I seriously hope I'm able to take the SAT at this test center I found that is 4+ hours away. If I am, it'll all be worth the trouble.
 
Guess what? It doesnt matter one IOTA what we or anyone thinks, other than the SA’s. That’s the gist if it. Fair or not. Easy or not. Doesn’t matter. One. Tiny. Bit. We have no say.

So glad my own are out of okay-12 education. So glad my own are within the walls of usna. #CovidSucks
 
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